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I need a recipe for a bakeable custard/pastry cream to use on Danish pastries.

Looking for one that will hold its shape, not "explode", or get completely absorbed into the pasty.

I've used several commercial ones that work great (Puratos) but I need one made from scratch.

If not available, any ideas on how I can keep the pastry "dented" so I can deposit the cream after baking?

Hi there -

A very nice person loaned me his older style DLX (looks like it's from maybe the 80s and on the front reads DLX 9000 - or maybe it says 3000 - hard to tell).  So today I made a triple batch of cookies using whole wheat flour (and some white flour) and adding chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pecans and almonds. :) Tomorrow I'll try bread.

My assessment so far is that a quadruple batch would be too much (not that I'd want to make that much!) but I think I heard somewhere the newer ones have a slightly larger capacity and can do quadruple batches. I did have to move the arm a few times to find a location that would make it so there'd be contact with the dough or else so that it wouldn't creep over the edge, so I sort of see what they mean when they say it needs some babysitting (it may be that all stand mixers do though...I've never used one before). I could imagine maybe wanting to go higher in speed when I used this older one, but not necessarily and I know the newer models have a bit more power.  I didn't like how because my fingers were oily from the batter, I had a hard time unscrewing the arm to move it (it would slip and I had to grab a paper towel to get it to turn).  Not a deal-breaker by any means.  I also noticed that at one point the dough was creeping up the scraper (!) but that's probably a learning-curve issue - something I was doing wrong.

Starting to make the cookie dough, I got the butter to room temp and used the roller to mix that with the sugar and that took a long time compared to if I'd used a handheld electric mixer or no doubt something like a Kitchen Aid.  Granted the newer ones have the plastic bowl with whisks so that might have been less of a pain to mix up the butter had I had that...but then I'd have to switch bowls once time to add the flour lest the whisk/paddle thingies break.  But e.g. with the Bosch, a separate bowl isn't needed - and having a metal bowl to do both kneading and mixing/whisking is an option.  I'm annoyed that the Ankarsrum forces us to use plastic (and also - I really wish they'd make a stronger cookie paddle so we could also make pie dough).  Oh and before I forget, someone told me to grate cold butter and add it to the flour that way, for pie dough.  Sounds like a real pita to have to do that though.  But that is one way that she said has definitely worked well for her re. pie dough.

As someone else mentioned on another thread, the lack of a dedicated on-off swtich on the older model at least (do the new ones have one?) was a PITA cause I had to either wait for the timer to turn off or else unplug the machine.  I assume they no longer make it that way?

When I made the speed faster or slower, I heard the motor sort of shift in sound each time consistently - like with a slight delay each time.  This is normal for this machine, yes? 

When I'd put all the dough and nuts and chips in the bowl tonight and the bowl was pretty full, I did feel like there was one point when I was pushing the motor (yikes - not my machine!) and I could swear I smelled some sort of mechanical subtle burning type of smell if you know what I mean.  LIke maybe the motor was getting hot?  But it may not have been used for years - not sure if that matters.  I guess my point here is that I've read over and over how nothing beats this mixer in terms of thick thick doughs and durability, but is that really true?  Are the extra watts on the new ones going to get rid of this problem (the feel like I was pushing it)?  I seriously hate the look of the Bosch (and that stupid blender tower everyone's always trying to hide in so many of the pictures, lol) but I didn't get the feeling it couldn't handle it from looking at videos anyway.

I have the question/concern that if this mixer takes a while longer to beat/mix everything up, is that a problem with some recipes that say not to over-mix or over-knead?  Maybe only an issue with pie dough? 

Lastly, I read a comment that someone who used the DLX/Assistent was used to making challah bread that came out dense and now since using the Assistent, it comes out light and fluffy.  Ok clearly that's a good thing but see for me, I get nervous every time I read people talking about the DLX making bread lighter.  Because I like it very dense and moist with a tighter crumb I guess you could say - at least when making sandwich bread and probably a few others.  Like Dave's Killer Bread if any of you know it.  Dense is a good thing.  E.g. when I eat fluffy cake, it's usually from a cheaper Safeway bakery type place.  When I eat heavy, moist, dense cake, it's from a higher-end bakery.  If I were to get an Ankarsrum (Assistent, DLX, Electrolux, Magic Mill, whatever you want to call it) - and don't laugh at such a stupid question - can I still have dense breads or will everything be super light and fluffy all the time?  Hahaha I know I sound ridiculous...

Thank you!!  

Oh one last question!  Anyone have any of those cool colors?

Aaargh - sorry so long!!!

Hi there,

I'm baking bread according to the tartine method and have gradually been getting better. My starter is healthy and can raise bread with half a tbsp of starter (after making a leaven of course). I know there are a lot of posts on the tartine method but I've gotten so frustrated recently that I felt i had to post something more specific to my actual situation. The main problem i'm having is that my dough is too liquidy and isn't getting enough surface tension to properly shape - it's the stickiest thing in the world!

This is a bit odd because i'm baking 85% white and 15% wholegrain, and at 71% hydration (the recipe in the book is 75!). I'm using allison strong white flour at 12% protein and am bulk fermenting/proofing at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. So I don't understand what's going wrong.

I know people say don't back off on the hydration and that I should learn how to "work with wet dough" but honestly this dough is IMPOSSIBLE to work properly - it sticks to counter whether it is covered in flour or oil, and it even sticks to my bench scraper. Every time I try to handle it and try to remove my hand/scraper the resulting tug distorts any shape i have tried to make. I have made do by scraping my bench scraper around the loaf in circles in order to build tension which works okay. And when it comes to after the bench rest I try to shape as suggested but the dough is so sticky that no real "seam" is created as the dough just merges (and by the way - why do we need a seam anyway?).

After proofing the dough is so liquidy if you shake the banneton it wobbles like jelly - hence when you put it into the pan it loses all shape.... The bread itself tastes nice but is rather ugly (as scoring is impossible) and flat. 

I'd really appreciate some help from you guys because this is getting incredibly frustrating.

Thanks a lot,

Jamie